One of sumo¡¯s most reliable truisms is that ¡°results in training mean nothing.¡±

For every wrestler who has carried impressive pre-basho form into a tournament, there is another whose wins in practice turned out to be little more than a mirage.

Make no mistake ¡ª Japan¡¯s national sport has perhaps the most violent and intense training sessions of any athletic endeavor, but it¡¯s also a sport where practice results are unreliable if taken as a predictor of future success.